Video Vault: Sports spoof 'BASEketball' mixes smart, dumb comedy

Will Pfeifer

Wednesday

Aug 26, 2009 at 12:01 AMAug 26, 2009 at 6:22 AM

When “BASEketball” hit theaters in 1998, it was savaged by critics, but I’m not sure why. Yes, it was a dopey comedy packed with foul language, infantile humor and mean-spirited jokes, but it was also a sharp sports satire that took a goofy concept and ran with it all the way.

When “BASEketball” hit theaters in 1998, it was savaged by critics, but I’m not sure why. Yes, it was a dopey comedy packed with foul language, infantile humor and mean-spirited jokes, but it was also a sharp sports satire that took a goofy concept and ran with it all the way.

The plot involves two losers (“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone) who accidentally invent a combination of baseball and basketball that quickly becomes a national sensation. The sports plot involves the usual movie clichés, but the jokes packed around the edges make “BASEketball” funny and surprising.

The teams’ names range from the Milwaukee Beers (our heroes) to the Dallas Felons and the Miami Dealers. The cheerleaders dress (and dance) like strippers, and promotional events include “Dozen Egg Night” (bad news for the losers). In one of my favorite gags, when the Beers lose the championship, they wear specially made “Losers” hats and T-shirts for their locker room interview.

“BASEketball” isn’t perfect — some of the gags are just plain stupid, and your tolerance for the movie will depend on your tolerance for Parker and Stone. But in an era full of sports comedies,“BASEketball” stands out thanks to its willingness to go further for a laugh than anyone else. I can’t think of another sports movie that combines a Polynesian-themed dance number with the do-or-die game, and includes a guy-guy smooch that beats the one in “Talladega Nights” by almost a decade.

Will Pfeifer writes about new DVDs on Tuesdays and older ones on Fridays. Contact him at wpfeifer@rrstar.com or 815-987-1244. Read his blog at blogs.e-rockford.com/movie man/.

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